Sensitise farmers and consumers about the ills of chemical fertilizers

Mar 28, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The majority of Guyanese are being fed with fertilizer chemicals, which I am sure can have an adverse effect on their health. This has not been considered seriously by anyone I know of.
Vegetable farmers like to see their crops looking healthy and flourishing. In order to achieve this result they have to use artificial fertilizer in its various forms, depending on the type of crop. Some of these fertilizers are urea, sulphate of ammonia, potassium, and mixed fertilizers, which is a combination of others.

The use of fertilizers, in almost all cases, boosts crop yield and the plants would display health and abundance.
At the market, consumers would often go for the healthy looking vegetables and other garden products.
Sad to say, these treated products, even when placed in the refrigerator and kept there for two or three days, would become slimy and melted. This is more evident in the case with bora and poi callaloo.

Smart yet foolish housewives knowing that this condition will happen will hasten to use up the vegetables in order not to lose them, thus feeding the family chemicals.
No doubt, this chemical diet used over time is what resulted in healthy looking people experiencing sickness of joints, muscles and other medical complaints.
Many smart families who plant their own vegetable patches would avoid using fertilizers and would use the pen manure instead. The same family, if planting to sell, would boost their crops with fertilizers to enable a greater output.

It is right that we condemn the use of cigarettes and alcohol as being detrimental to health, also promiscuous life styles and the use of hard drugs, which can lead to HIV. We do so because we can see and feel these harmful objects.
It is time that we have sensitizing programmes for farmers and consumers about the harmful effect on the excessive use of plant fertilisers have on consumers.
I am not sure under whose ministry this purview will fall under, but a conscious effort should be made to avoid the slow demise of the people.
We are told that one cigarette consumed shortens one’s life by 20 seconds. Someone needs to tell us by how many seconds the consumption of chemicals on a daily fare will lessen our lives.
Name and Address supplied

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Sensitise farmers and consumers about the ills of chemical fertilizers

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